Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Eating Disorder Symptoms, Body Image Attitudes, And Risk Factors In Non-Traditional And Traditional Age Female College Students., Jennifer E. Caldwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates whether there are certain age groups in college that are more susceptible to eating problems and the contributing factors for eating disorders. The participants were 144 college women divided into traditional and non-traditional age groups. The EDI-2, BSI, RSE, and additional items were administered. The results show that non-traditional age college women were as likely to have eating disorder symptoms and more likely to possess body dissatisfaction than traditional age college students. The data support body dissatisfaction, aging concerns, perfectionism, depression, anxiety, and having children as potential risk factors for eating disturbances. This study suggests that there …

Memory And Fragmentation In Dissociative Identity Disorder, Margaret Rose Barlow '96

Doctoral Dissertations

Dissociative identity disorder (DID), formerly called multiple personalities, is a condition in which aspects of experience and memory are separated from each other and from awareness. The current study adds to the literature in this area by utilizing a broad conceptualization of memory functioning in DID, combining ecologically valid memory tests with experimental paradigms, and examining shareability, switching, and integration. Eleven women with DID participated in a two-session experiment that included a variety of memory measures. Participants were given no instructions regarding switching among alters, but were later asked how often they had switched. They reported significantly higher levels of …

Facing The Caree/Family Dichotomy: Traditional College Women's Perspectives, Lisa Michelle Leavitt

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the experience of 32 traditional college freshmen women as they sought to choose a career with the idea of balancing career and family in the future. A traditional woman was defined as a woman whose central value system and cultural mores emphasize homemaking and childrearing as their primary role. Guided interviews were conducted to obtain in-depth descriptions of participants' experience. The interviews were transcribed and interpreted using a synthesis of qualitative methods based on Kvale's method. The six themes were as follows: 1. The concept of balancing careers and family life is not being discussed or …

Women's Substance Abuse Treatment With Supplemental Couple's Therapy: Changes In Women's Levels Of Intimacy And Autonomy In Relation To Treatment Outcomes By Treatment Modality, Charles N. Davis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current study is a secondary analysis of a National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) study in which 122 women received treatment for their substance abuse problems. Three models of substance abuse treatment were administered. One included standard substance abuse treatment alone and two models included supplemental couple's therapy in addition to standard treatment. The current study examined the significance of the relationship between changes in the women's levels of intimacy and autonomy, during and after treatment, and their treatment outcomes according to the treatment modality they received.

It was hypothesized that the relationship would be significant in that levels …

Asian American Females In Educational Leadership In K-12 Public Schools, Dina Castillo Pacis Edd

Dissertations

The research on educational leadership has largely excluded the perspectives of women and minorities. As school age populations become increasingly diverse, the need for principals from diverse backgrounds also increases. However, the research data shows that females and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in educational leadership positions. In an effort to address the lack of minority females in educational leadership, particularly Asian American females, more research needs to be conducted on their perceived barriers to upward mobility, as well as their perceptions of educational leadership. Only when the voices of Asian American female minority administrators are heard, will they be better …

The Interactive Roles Of Gender And Ethnicity In African-American Women's Mental Health, Dianna Nadine Moses-Nunley

Dissertations

Abstract For African-American women, female gender and African-American (AA) ethnicity combine to create experiences of discrimination, discrimination related stress, and mental health issues that are not encountered by individuals who occupy only one of these status variables. Gender and ethnicity also influence socioeconomic status, an additional variable affecting the experiences and issues that AA women uniquely encounter. The first goal of this study was to examine the ways in which the combined social statuses of gender and ethnicity influence the discriminatory experiences and mental health of AA women. The second goal was to determine the ways in which AA women¿s …

Poverty, Gender, And Religion: A Reflection On The Status Of Coptic Women In Poor Areas, Ereeny Talaat Zaki

Archived Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to explore the reasons behind the oppression of poor Coptic women. It examines the factors that position Coptic women in inferior status. It analyzes these factors at the intersections of lack of resources, poverty consequences, and gender inequalities that shape life experiences of this segment of the Egyptian society. Central to my argument is the influence of religion on the lives of those women. In the light of fieldwork conducted in the poor area of El Salaam city, the main finding is that religion affiliation, especially if this religion is adopted by a minority …

Image Of Women As Portrayed In The Egyptian Media, Rasha Nabil Allam

Archived Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the image of women as portrayed in the newly independent two Egyptian newspapers, Nahdet Misr or (Egyptian Renissance ), and Al-Masry Al-Youm or (The New Egyptian). The study aims to identify to what extent these two newspapers promote a developmental image about women's roles in society. It is very significant to examine the phenomena of individual newspapers as a new press in addition to the governmental and party press. This is considered a pioneer research for addressing the issue of women in the independent media.

The Mass Media reflects the society it exists in. The mass media …

The Effects Of Exposure To Feminist Ideology On Women's Body Image, Rachel Diane Peterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Body image disturbance has become an increasing problem among women (Cash & Henry, 1995). Thus researchers have begun to focus on methods of prevention and intervention. Programs utilizing psychoeducation and Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory, for example, have been found to reduce body image dissatisfaction and related symptomatology. The information provided and potential impact are limited, however, because the interventions do not offer women an adaptive method of interpreting the many appearance-related messages they experience. This study sought to determine if exposure to feminist theory of body image may act as a buffer – a filter through which cultural messages about …

Innovative Interventions For Disordered Eating: A Pilot Comparison Between Dissonance-Based And Yoga Interventions, Karen S. Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

Disordered eating, including bingeing, dieting, purging, and clinical and subclinical forms of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, is prevalent among college-aged women. To date, few interventions have successfully reduced risk factors related to disordered eating. One promising intervention utilizes principles of cognitive dissonance to reduce thin-ideal internalization among women at risk for eating disorders. Additionally, the benefits of yoga, including increased awareness of bodily processes, offer hope that this practice might reduce disordered eating symptomatology. The current study compared cognitive dissonance and yoga interventions for disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that there were …

Changing Face: The Evolution Of Chinese Women's Dress And Appearance, Xiaolan Wang

LSU Master's Theses

Women’s dress and appearance can reflect a lot about a civilized society. It is influenced by many factors as well. The dress and appearance of contemporary Chinese women have not been studied much by mass communication researchers. This paper, however, explored the factors that influence the development and evolution of contemporary Chinese women’s dress and appearance. It traced back from Dynastic China to Republican China and then to Mao’s red China to examine the historical and political influences imposed on the dress and appearance of Chinese women. Then, it used in-depth interviews to find out factors that influence women’s dress …

Comorbid Childhood Sexual Abuse And Substance Abuse Among Women: Knowledge, Training, And Preparedness Of Graduate Counselor Education And Social Work Students, Laurie Elizabeth Pennington

LSU Master's Theses

This descriptive-correlational study examined the knowledge, training and perceived preparedness of graduate social work and counselor education students in the area of comorbid childhood sexual abuse and substance abuse among women. Participants were 71 graduate social work and approximately 12 counselor education students scheduled to graduate in the spring semester of 2005. The study was analyzed using univariate and bivariate statistics. No significant differences emerged between graduate counselor education and social work students using independent-samples t-tests and a Fisher’s exact test on the measure of knowledge and training. Using a Mann Whitney U test, significant differences emerged between counselor education …

Where Supply Meets Demand: Women In Diesel Mechanics, Emily Raine

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

In 2004, with a participation rate of 59.2 percent, women represented 46 percent of the total U. S. labor force. This same year, women earned an average of $573 per week, approximately 80 percent of men’s median weekly earnings. It is rarely disputed that a gender wage gap exists; rather it is the cause of this differential that is often the subject of debate. Empirical evidence indicates that the wage differential can be attributed to factors such as differences in education, labor market experience, and occupational choice.

Research has consistently shown that increases in educational attainment will lead to positive …

Women's Uses Of The Internet, Rachelle Powell

LSU Master's Theses

In this study I will look at the main reasons women use the Internet. Studies about women and the Internet are divided; some indicate less use of the Internet than men, but other studies show strong evidence of a narrowing gap in use. Due to this lack of clarity, a study that looks exclusively at women’s Internet activities and usage is needed. Although qualitative research does not test or apply theory the same way quantitative research does, uses and gratifications theory informed this study. This is an exploratory study of women and the Internet.

Addiction And Recovery Experiences Of African American Women: A Phenomenological Study, Patricia Diana Hill

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, substance abuse research has for the most part excluded African American women. The small body of existing substance abuse research regarding African American women does not examine gender and socio-cultural issues from African American women's perspectives. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to develop a deeper, contextual understanding of the experiences and perspectives of this marginalized population of women. The major goal of the study is to examine the perspectives of African American women about their substance abuse, treatment and recovery. The knowledge gained from this research with African American women regarding their experiences and specific needs in …

Effects Of A Primary Care Weight Management Intervention On Physical Activity In Low-Income African American Women, Gareth R. Dutton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Although physical inactivity is associated with numerous medical conditions, most individuals do not engage in recommended levels of physical activity. Certain subgroups of the population are particularly inactive, including women, African Americans, and individuals with lower income and less education. While research suggests that interventions targeting physical activity can produce significant improvements in activity and cardiorespiratory fitness, there is less research examining physical activity interventions for these at-risk groups. In particular, there is a lack of research examining primary care physical activity interventions among low-income, African American women. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of …